Free Reply to Response to Motion - District Court of Federal Claims - federal

Case 1:07-cv-00271-RHH

Document 68-3

Filed 06/27/2008

Page 1 of 2

591' CONGRÊss l . list SI.'o8¡on. . f
=--~-_-:-_.

SFJNATE. ,

,. RJiPORT ) No. 1417.

RAIIiHOAD IUqHTS'(lF '" AY 'lHROUGH PUBLIC LANDS.

. MARon l, 'lûOß.-Ordorcd to be printe

:Mr. FI,IN'l) from the Co'imnittce on Public Lands, submitted the' follm'ying

REPORT.
(To l\ccompniiy S, 3743.)

'lh(l Committoo on PnhlicLlmdR, to whom was rofei'l'od tho hil (8.
UHB) 10 nniond nn act ont.ltled HAn net gmnting to 1'I\II1'OlH18 the I'jg-hti

pf wii\' through tho. püblio lands of tho UlltOrl Stnlea,'? I\ppl'O\ri~rl ~Ii\liiì a, :1875, having had t.io same undor ooniiidol't,ion report it
hack: wi(.i an nmondiiont in

the J.ituro of a snhstituto (\D( lU so

kiiwiidnd rocommond 'tho pUSf!ag:o theroof.

Tho ii(\t of M,,¡'ch 3, 1875 (18 Stât. .1J, 482), gl'lmt,s mllroads tho right )fWH,\ thl'oiigh t,l,ie publio lands, anrl thol'o\1",dor hu'go miloiigo has lie()ri (ioiii-tl'uotòd t1\roiighout tho woslorn pnhho lund Stntos iind ~rOl':itOl'jiiS, inoluding Now Moxh~o; Al'ioiii, anf) portions of Oldiihoma.
1'111 iwt eontninA tho proviiiion thnt it._..

ihiill 11111. iipply to any lnni)¡1 MUiln tho Ilnilta of àny inlllnry pnrk or In!llnii rOfjor~
,.\11011, CH' 0\ hor In,u1f1 iillcollilly i'llHoi'\'~ilíl'()1I anlo, niiloflll fllIoh rlHht of Wl\)' Hhiill ho

irol'ltli!11 lOI" hy truntv Illliinlnt(on or hy not of COIl)Jrl'flH liol'otoforo l)1llllCcl,

B\, lids of Uoiigroas of MnS 4" 180,1 (28 Stnt. I.J., 71, Olc1iiholiii), and 'pl:ì1I(, 1800 (2U Stiit. Ii" \)0, Arjimnii), (ho sollool seotlons (16niid 30)
iii'l\eli township in thoso 'l'Ol'l'itOI':CH WtWOSO H flpoolllllj'l'OSOl'vod from

~\lo" foi' tho purposo of fnt;tllo gi'imt of tho 9ltmo to tho pl'mipoctivo ~cw Si.iite. s, and tho 'lorl'ltol'ies woro pm'mittcd to louso thom. In bnild~
iig mili'finds uiidoi' tho net of Miil'eh 3, 187õ, n~imy of thoso l'OHOl'vod ch~ol ~(~ct.ionR hiivn boen ,orossed. I~y tho ronda, WhOl'OV01' I\ny 1'08t1r¡fllOIl 01' Impl'OVQlIont of an individnnl sottloI' 01' occupant thoroon i!lfl he(\ll fonnd tho aot requil'oa tho l'iA'1is of snch piu,t,ios to bo com~
K'U91l1(l(\ tOl', oithOl' by (IOli(loIUUfJ,tiOIl suit or amicl\blo ndimitmont and

11\,\'1\('111" But tho )andH boing' ao "spcolally IWIOI'vod from 8alo" iud()\ 11,0 ordinary publio~1iin(l, hiwa it mn.y Imppon thnt whon tho now
Ilnlml il 1'0 orcated aneI tho fol' to thOBO sohool r:ootionH pnsima to suoh (\\1 SllllOfl nnclo)' tho g'i'nt~ provided III tho onl\hlliig- net, tho I'llih'olu.la

,¡II ho l'oquÌl'od to pUrolii~i) suoh l'ght of Wlty from tho Stntcs, This
'Qnld be unfair.

Case 1:07-cv-00271-RHH

Document 68-3

Filed 06/27/2008

Page 2 of 2

2 RAILROAD BIGHTS OF WAY THBOUGH PUBLIOX,ANDB.
. . The construction of th~ lai1r?~~ bas peopléd thëse'TerritoricB and: . boen the larKest. fnotor -m ndvancing- them to statehOO, Coiigl'(I~ i!1tendod tQ i;pv.o this ai~. by theaet of Maroh 8, 18~6, .~C!ude at that'

~lme the pollëY ofreserving sohoolseetions i~ th~ Territories/rom sale
lD order to G'rant them to the futuro States had not been

heard of, and

was not initmtèd until many years thereafter. Such railroad constrUCt tion has advanced the value of the school seotions, and~to compel tho
mil

roads to purohnsofrom thefuture'State reo~lving the gi'~nt of the fee Intiny yoors aitei' tholailronds havebcen built,wçuld; b.e to inflict hurdsl~ipupon the l'l\ilronds ari~ in miin~'i.nstances(wheretho eoliplilJ.I
In 1'0!ipoot of Now Mexico, howevei', tho sohool lands were gl'lltc(1 that Tel'l'itol'Y by act of ,Juno 21, d 1808' (~;o Stiit.':., 484), and no pres.
ent legoislation of this olmlactol' affecting that Tel'itol'y would ¡mom to

bus paid tho occupnnt) to pl'otically reql1l'e dO,lblo payment,

be proper. . . .
Tho

bil as presented also provideR fOl' ll'oteotiQn of existing 1'1111.

road right of way thl'oughll\1rl~ox('lndN . from private land cliiini~
and thus l'ostol'cd to tho piiblio.domiiin nftol' such railroad constrUCt tion,. It is quito plnin, howovol', tliit nndol' the act of March 3, 187õ,

unnecessary. ..

tho l'ight of way nttnchos to such landi:, and hence this 'l'ovision is
It is obvloua, however, that where l'lilroads nave been const,l'ictcd

and iu'e now in opemtion llidoi'. this gonoml l'lg'ht of way nct 01' br

spooiiil ncts of ConJrl'o~s, 01' midol' imthol'ity of the ~L'ori:it.olil\llli\\;1
snch m\8einontB, ~to tho extont only now uscd; should be protected. 'ro

accomplish this PlU'lJOßO tho committee ,rccoiimoiid thnt tho hlJlie nll0ndüd bX. striking out nllnftol' tho eniioting cl.nu8o and intlol'ting in lion thol'oof tho following:., '. .
Whoro; undertho l\t of OoiigreflRnpij1'ovod March 3,'1875, eJitltic(l II An R(!t grnni, ing to railroads the right of WI\Y throiigh tho piibllo'hmdsof'. tl~e Unit(,-(l Sll\Il'SI"~. uudor Bpeolal acts of Congress, or "ndor the laws of the 'l'errltorioa of Okll\hollR and 0lltirnUOn in OkllilioliaOl Arlioiil\, riil1ronds hl\vo \joen c0118tructt,id l\ud I\ro JlOWin Arlv.oii/\, whloh may ')1\8'3 thro\lgh imy of tho Iimcls heretoforo rooor\'cci for ~l\ld 'l~r,
rltorlCl,'fliioh liuula B iall bo dlRpoaed of aubjeot to Buoh rallrol\cI right or (\IlH(!in~n~

for "\loh roilroad p\1pO~eH. .'.
And that tho Mtlo bo ah-i nmolllod 80 us to road:
tho 'lonltoi'ios of..Okll\homa I\lld Ai;!v.oiia,

biit only to tho Qxtent of tho right of way conferred by tho said no\. of MaTch :I, 18;~

A bll to oonl\rm t.ho right of wl\y of rl\lJrol\da now construoted and in QllOrl\t1011 IQ

o